ETF

Back to Basics (Fed Up with Mutual Funds)

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I received an email from a reader this afternoon. Like anyone who invested in mutual funds for years, they discovered  they weren’t making money. Surprise! They wrote how “Fed up with Mutual Funds” they were, but didn’t know how to get started in Dividend Investing. There are so many questions for the new Dividend Investor. If you have been investing in mutual funds, then a lot of this can seem complex and overwhelming. But once you make the start you are well on the road to keeping your own money and getting paid regular dividends, instead of paying mutual fund …

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CLF ~ Claymore 1-5 Year Govt. Laddered Bond ETF

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Right now bonds are expensive, as they are trading at premium with low yields. Bonds are also very complex instruments.  So for most people buying bonds directly in a record-low interest rate environment means you are overpaying for the bond, with a reduced yield below the coupon rate.  However loading up a portfolio with 80% or 90% dividend yielding stocks is not prudent either. We only have to look back at the market crash of 2008 to see how equities did – but bonds and bond funds did well. Bonds are a necessary component of any portfolio, since they create …

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Horizon’s BetaPro S&P/TSX60 (HXT) ETF. A Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing!

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Investors have been flocking to ETF’s these last couple of years like bees to honey!  On September 14th, Horizon announced the BetaPro HXT, an ETF that tracks the S&P/TSX60 Index. With a MER of only 0.07% you can easily understand the interest that generated! Imagine an ETF that tracks the TSX-60 for a super-low MER. It sure had me thinking recently, when I saw the TV commercial, and had extra money to invest. Well hold on, what appears to be isn’t so. Here are some facts about the Horizon HXT ETF that might have you rethinking your decision to purchase: …

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